Podcast: “Research integrity, AI and open access”

In the latest episode of the RELX Podcast Unique Contributions, Elsevier’s Managing Director of Journals, Laura Hassink, shares her insights on scientific publishing, peer review, open access and research integrity with Elsevier Chair YoungSuk “YS” Chi.

Here are some excerpts and key takeaways from their conversation.

Laura Hassink on joining Elsevier

On publishing scale and quality control

Laura pointed out that Elsevier publishes about 720,000 articles annually across over 3,000 journals — 17% of the world’s research output. The rigorous peer review process involves 36,000 editors and 1.7 million reviewers, to help ensure that only quality research is published. This commitment to quality is reflected in the high citation rates of Elsevier articles, which account for about 29% of total citations. This means that the research Elsevier publishes is highly relevant to other researchers and speaks to its quality.

Two main publishing models

Elsevier operates under two primary payment models: “pay to read” (subscription) and “pay to publish” (open access). This allows authors to choose the model that best suits their needs, accommodating different preferences, such as those of institutions or funders of research. “As a publisher, it’s important that we can serve all our customers,” Laura said.

On why Elsevier is expanding its open access portfolio

Laura said Elsevier has been launching more open access journals in response to a growing demand, particularly in Europe and specific disciplines. Last year, Elsevier published more than 250,000 open access articles — a 30% increase. Elsevier now publishes 900 fully open access journals. Elsevier wants to offer a wider range of titles, as with Elsevier’s subscription journals, Laura noted:

We want to offer that choice … to really provide that range in the different disciplines, quality tiers, etc.

On Elsevier’s commitment to research integrity

With the rise in publication volume and the various threats to quality, concerns about research integrity have intensified. Elsevier has established strict guidelines to address issues such as plagiarism and fraudulent authorship. The company is actively enhancing its technological capabilities and human oversight team to identify potential integrity breaches before articles undergo peer review.

Editorial independence is the cornerstone of our journals

Editorial independence is crucial for maintaining trust in scientific publishing. While Elsevier provides tools and recommendations to support editors, the ultimate decision on article acceptance rests with the editors. This separation ensures that the integrity of the peer review process remains intact and that decisions are made based on scientific merit rather than external pressures.

Access for researchers in developing countries

Elsevier is committed to improving access to research, particularly in developing countries, through initiatives like Research4Life opens in new tab/window, which provides free or low-cost access to peer-reviewed content. This program enables researchers in resource-limited settings to engage with global scientific literature, fostering inclusive research and collaboration.